Places to Eat & Drink

The Lakes Distillery

A derelict old barn on the edge of the River Derwent has become the site of one of Lakelands loveliest Bistro’s and new makers of an old Lakeland tradition…moonshine. Well, it’s proper stuff now, and they’ll tell you all about it and the history in the area on the tour.

The Lakes Distillery is about four miles from Kestrel Lodge and a wonderful addition to everything the Northern Lakes has to offer. The tour, while not cheap, is highly informative and will take you on a journey from the River Derwent’s beginnings at Sprinkling Tarn all the way out to the sea at Workington. It provides a great insight into the production of gin, vodka, and whisky. The tour guides are incredibly knowledgeable, and if you enjoy the odd tipple I would highly recommend a visit.

The busy Bistro serves scrumptious food and the shop is well stocked for those who want to take away anything that grabbed them on the tasting tours. The only problem we had was getting Gran out of there at the end of the day. Her favourite was definitely the gin.

Open year round, you can check out the menu at the bistro here and the tour costs £12.50 per adult. Earliest tour time is 11am and the final one of the day is at 5pm.